Thought-provoking illustrations reveal hidden secrets of strangers

Let’s face it: we've all said, done or thought things that we’d rather keep to ourselves.

At least, that was the thinking behind illustrator Terence Eduarte’s latest project, which saw him travelling the globe to draw strangers in return for them telling him their secrets.

The innovative artist, who lives in the Philippines, spent 100 days illustrating strangers (and the occasional friend) while listening to their stories.

“Every person has an interesting story to tell and I wanted to channel that into this project,” he wrote on Bored Panda.

And he certainly heard interesting stories from his subjects, along with numerous “unexpected confessions”.

From a man who can’t shake his imaginary friend to a woman living a double life on social media, see some of the revelations below...

1: “I'm ten years older than my sister but she's marrying someone my age. I tell people I'm unhappy about the age difference, but I think the real reason is I might be jealous.”

2: “I overdo things and I constantly make myself the centre of attention because I'm terrified of being forgotten.”

3: “I was born into a culture that never accepted me. Born to an Arab father and a European mother; I am constantly fighting two sides of my identity. Anxiety and depression has completely taken over me.”

4: “I've posted photos and stories on social media to show people how interesting and colourful my life is. However, it's just the total opposite.”

5: “I never had sex without paying for it. Nobody knows and I'm very ashamed of it.”

6: “I'm so self-conscious that I can't even go to the grocery store without comparing myself to other women there.”

7: “To this day, only my boyfriend and I know that I was pregnant at age 18. Not even my poem on a bathroom door was interpreted correctly by strangers. The secret continues to be safe between us and the hotel room where it ended.”

8: “I'm on the album cover of my cheating, lying, sociopathic ex-boyfriend. I'm still wondering if I should be ashamed or proud.”

9: “My father usually takes my milk after coming home drunk and suffering from stomach pain. One night, I said no to him to punish him for his drinking. A week later, he had a fatal accident after another drink. I really feel sorry for not offering my dad the milk that night.”

10: “I contributed to my friends' success and resent them for not including me once they became famous.”

You can see more of Eduarte's illustrations (and read more confessions) on his Instagram page here.